Apparatus for racking beer.



mf'issi'f H. w. COLBY. APPARATUS FOR BACKING BEER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2, 1902.

PATENTED MAR.29,'1904.

N0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W] TNESSES R [N VENTOR.

BY .Ftrzy 71 6 016).

1 ATTORNEY;

.No. 755,618. PATENTED MAR. 29, 1904. H. W. COLBY.

APPARATUS FOR BACKING BEER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

3 SHEBTS-SHEET 2.

Eng?

4 1 A TTORNE X5 IN VEN TOR. 132 W aw Z WITNESSES 1%. 755,618. 3 PATENTEDMAR. 29, 1904.

I H. w. COLBY. APPARATUS FOR BACKING BEER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2, 1902. N0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTOR. Z Zw W 60% WITNESSES A TTORNEKS j UNITED Srnrns- PatentedMarch 29, 12 304.

PATENT Oriana.

HARRY WiLMoNT corner, or osircnso, ILLINOIS, nssienoa To" AUTOMATICBACKING MACHINE COMPANY. or cnicnco, iLLi- NOIS, A CORPORATION OFILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR BACKING BEER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 755,618, dated March29, 1904.

Applicati filed January 2, 1902. Serial No. 88,170- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be. it known that I, HARRY WILMoN'r COLBY,

, a citizen of. the United States, residing in Chicago,,.in the countyofCook and State of Illi- 'nois, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Apparatus for Racking Beer, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for racking beer, andmore partictxlarly to improvements upon the invention or apparatus shownand described in prior pat- -ents granted to .meas, for example, in myprior patent of the United States, No. 651,651,

dated June 12, 1900. I

The prime. object of all my inventions re lating to this art has been ameans for racking the beer-from the storage-casks into an intermediatereservoir and from'thence into the shipping packages or barrels in suchmanner and by such means that the beer will not be disturbed, shaken, orstirred and the contained carbonic-acid gas released and foam producedand, the beer causedto become Wild. If the beer, charged with its gas,can be led quietly and without dashing or falling violentlyon itspassage from the reservoir to the package-and delivered at or near thebottom of the package, no foam or release of gas will take place,provided the atmospheric pressure in the package is equal orapproximately equal to the atmospheric pressure in the intermediatereservoir containing the beer, and, moreover, the beer when thusdelivered to the package will remain in this quiescent state for anappreciable length of time after the pressure, hasbeen released from thepackage and long enoughso that a bong can be driven I by hand with thepackage standing in the open air. and this, too, with a full package andWithout the loss of any beer or creating any foam, thusdispensingwiththe necessity for complicated apparatus for driving the bung Whilethe package remains sealed and under pressure.

, In the apparatuswhich constitutes the subject-matter ofthe presentinvention the abovestated principle is followed out; and the inventionconsists in certain improvements in slide on said filling-tube.

construction and arrangement whereby the apparatus is somewhatsimplified, cheapened, rendered more convenlent in operation, and

more convenientlyapplied in ordinary breW- package bodily upward intocontact with amovable sealing-head and to continue this upward movementthereafter for a distance equal to that portion of the length of'thefillingtube which is to be inserted in the barrel by pushing the movablesealing-head upward to This arrangement diminishes the height of theapparatus required and enables it to be put intobreweries where theceilings are low, and it also diminishes the vertical distance betweenthe beer reservoir and the bottom of the barrel being filled, throughwhich distance the beer must descend in filling, and hence lessens thedisturbance of the gas contained in the beer due to the flow, and in thepresent apparatus the sealing-tube held to its seal by compressed air,and the valve of the filling-tube operated by an air-engine, all as willbe more fully described,

barrel is lifted by a hydraulic engine, the

In the accompanying drawings, which form r a part of this specification,Figure l is a face or front elevation of the improved apparatus. Fig. 2is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross-section onthe line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. i is a horizontal section on the line 4 4of Fig. l, the same being, however, upon a larger scale than saidFig. 1. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the sealing-head and thelower end of the fillingtube,.showing the valve in the latter. Fig. 6 isa side elevation, partly in section, of the sealing-head andfilling-tube, showing the same swung away from the barrel, as when thebung is to be driven.

termediate reservoir, into which the beer is first conveyed from thestorage ca'sks means of a pipe or pipes not shown in the drawings. iiithe beer is to be filtered, the filter should be placed,preferablyfizetween the storage-weeks and this reservoir. inthere'servoir there is maintained by any suitable means above the beeranairplessure which shouldbe preferably constant and un varyingand'suficient at all times to hold the carbonicacid gas in the beer;This air'pressure in amount must be determinedby the quality andtemperature of the beer being racked, 'fand Wlll usually rangefrorn'five to fifteen pounds per square inch above atmosphere, and'tb spressure may be created by an airlnlmp', which is not shown in thedrawings.

It is indicated by a pressure-gage 11 and may 5- a-stuffing box or gland(not shown) and lo- Joe kept from. rising too high by a safety-valve 12,located in'the piping at some point which communicates with the interiorof the lesser vo r above the beer. In order lac-indicate to.

the eye of the operator the, level of the beer in the reservoir, avertical sight-glass 13 is providedyits upper end communicating with theair above the beer and its lower end corn-"- vnn uicsting with the beerin the reservoir. "Coninect'ed to. thelower partoi the reservoir,

so that the beer may line? into it from the 'll'QSEIVOlI, 18 the,flexible 1%, provided with a stop-cock 15 for letting the beer into thepipe or cutting it oil? therefrom." The other end of this pipe i l isconnected to the upper end of the'filliug tube 16, which filling tube isitselfstationary except for the capability of swinging laterally alongwith the T other parts con'he ctcd to it for the purpose of the'entirelength of the filling-tube and out at the top thereof through the cap orhead 19 of said filling-tube, which is provided with cated in said cap19 to prevent thebeer from leaking upward around the valve-rod and outof the filling-tube at this point, but leaving the'valve-rod free to bemoved up and downto open and close the valve 17 at the bottom of thefilling-tube. this valve will presently be described. Fitted 'to slideon the outside of said filling-tube 16 and capableof being freely movedup and down thereon. is the sealing-head 2Q, furnishediwith the.stuffing-box 21,. so that the fit between the sealingshead and thefillingtube shall be so close the; cannctescape or pass between the two.{in the lower sur The means for operating" vsaeis face of thesealing-head is a rubber packid; ring 22 for settingagainst the outsideof the barrel around the b11Z1g--1Ql8 to form an air tight connection.or seal between the sealinghead' and the barrel. In its lower part andimmediately around the filling-tube this seal ingdiead is chambered outto form the chainber QSmVhic-h chamber when the sealing-bead is incontact with the barrel is in direct communicaticn with said barrelthrough the bung hole. Attached to this sealing-head and in opencommunication with the chamber 23 is the flexible pipe 24:, which,through piping 25 communicates with the upper portion of the reservoir10 above the beer contained therein. The lower portion of the pipe 2 isor glass chamber 27, the object of the latter being to indicate to theeyeof the operator Wli'ifihllfil air or beer is passing through theflexible pipe 24: and to provide room for a sufficient quantity of beerto compensate for the beer displaced by the filling-tube whenthe latteris removed from the barrel, and having a movable pipe or tube extendinginto it for the purpose of adjusting a predetermined quantity of beerfor varioussized barrels or packages, The sealing-head 20 is carried bytwo piston-rods 959 29,,tbe upper ends or" which are provided withpistons 30 within the air cylinders 31, the whole being so contrivedthatwhen the sealing-head is forced up the pistons at the upper ends ofrods 29 will. act to compress the air in said cylinders 81 31 more andmore the sealinghead is forced farther and farther up. The purpose ofthis arrangement is so that when the barrel is lifted vertically upwardin contact with the sealing-head in the manner presently to be describedsaid scaling-head will be held against the barrel as the latter rises,with a constantlyreacbed. This maximum should be suliicient to insure aperfectly air-tight joint between the sealing-head and the barrel toprevent any leakage of air from the barrel at the seal. A pressure inthe neighborhood of sixty to sufiicient. To prod etermine and regulatethe amount of this pressure, a relief-valve32 is open to the atmospheremight .beemployed, but two are preferable as a means of-indepcndentadjustment; The interior construction of these-relief valves is'notshown on the drawings; but it will be understood that any ordinarypressure-regulating and adjustable is intended. These relieirvalves itwill be which enter-the'cylinders at the upper end thereof, andto theouter ends 34; of the said provided with a stop-cock 26 and asight-glassincreasing pressure, until a maximum is safety-valve canbc'cmployed, and such a valve noticed, are connectcdto the pipes 3-533,1

the cross-arm 28,- to which afib connected the "eighty pounds per squareinch will be amplyprovided for each of the cylinders 31 communicatingwith the upper part of said cylinders; {I A single relief-valve for thetwo cylln'ders pipe are to be connected pipes leading to the alr-pump orcompressed-air supply. In said pipes 33 and on the outer side of thereliefvalve are check-valves 35, which permit air to enter the cylinders31 from the air-pressure supply or pump, but prevent its egress. Now

the operation of these cylinders 31 as follows: When the sealing-head ispressed upward, compressing the air in said cylinders above-the pistons,if a greater pressure than is required shall be attained therelief-valve 32 will open. and the air will blow out, maintaining thepredetermined pressure at which the until its lower: position isreached. If the sealing-head should. stick from any cause on air supply,and at the fourth or last side to ,its way or if the pressure of thecontained air i's'not sufficient by its own elasticity to carry the headdown, the air from the air-pum p or air-supply will enter through thecheck-valves and force the head down. It will thus be seen that thecylinders 31 in their operation act like a spring, which is, however,perfectly regulable and adjustable and always certain in action. 1 i 1 lBetween-the cylinders 31 is placed the small air'--cylinder 36, thepistonof which is directly connected to the valve-operating rod or stem18 and operates the valve 17 at the bottom of the cylinder. :Connectedto the top and the bottom of the small cylinder 36 is a pipe 37 in whichis a four-way cock or valve 38, connected at one side to the top'of thecylinder, at another side tothe bottom of the cylinder,- at another sideto the air-pump or compressedtheopen air. On this valve is the lever 39.

The valve itself is so adjusted that when the lever 39 is lifted upwardthe air-supply will be admitted underneath the piston and the exhaustabove the piston opened, which will cause the valve at the bottom of thefillingtube to be closed, and when the lever 39 is pulled downward theair will be admitted above the piston and the exhaust opened below it,which will cause the piston to force the valve-operating rod or stem 18downward and valve close together for convenience;

partsabove described, consisting of the sealopen the valve 17 at thelower end of the cylinder.

operatingieve'r 39 by means of the pivoted Connected to the on ter endof the vaive rod 40 is the hand-lever 41, which is loosely journaled onthevalve-stem of the valve which controls the operation of thebarrel-litting cylinders, presently to be described, the object of thisbeing to bring the handles for operating the filling-tube valve and the'barrel-rais ihg i'ng-head, its cylinders 31 31, the filling-tube, andthe'cylinder 36 for operating the valve at the bottom of thefilling-tube, are all connected together and supported in a frame 42,provided with trunnions 43', by which it'is pivoted to the stationaryframework of the machine in such manner that it may befswung back intothe position shown in Fig. 6 to permit the bung to be driven in thebarrel. On the stationary frame of the machine above this oscillatingframe is a flat spring 44, which comes into contact with some part ofthe oscillating devices-and by its frictional pressure holds theoscillatingframein whatever posi' tion it may be placed by the hand ofthe operator. 1

The barrel or package to be filled is placed on the barrel-support 45,whichis or may be of the usual construction and requires no description.The barrel-support is itself mounted on a cross-head or platform 46, towhich are attached the piston-rods 47 47', connected to the pistons ofthe two hydraulic cylinders 48 48. These cylinders 4Sare connected attop and bottom, respectively, by pipes 49 and 50 to afour-way valve orcock 51, one port or way of which is connected to the top of thecylinders, one to the bottom of the cylinders, one to the pump,accumulator, or water-supply, and one to the waste or outflow. To thisfour-way valve or cook 51 is rigidly connected the operating-handle 52,and the valve is so positioned that when this handle is pulled downwardthe water or liquid is admitted 'from the water-supply to the cylindersbeneath the piston and the waste or outflow opened from above thepiston, so that the hydraulic pressure shall operate to lift the supportupon which the barrel rests and'carry it upward against thesealing-head, lifting the barrel up until the lower portion of theinterior of the barrel willnbe at or nearly at the lower end of thefilling-tube, which as the barrel is lifted enters the interior thereofthrough thebung-hole, and when the handle 52 is lifted upward a reverseof this operation takes place, the barrel islowered to its lower mostposition, being withdrawn from the filling-tube and finally out orcontact with the sealing-head. On the operating-lever 52 is a tang orprojection 53, which sets out under the lever or handle 41, whichlatterhandle, it will be remembered, is loosely journaled on thevalve-stem to which the handle 52 is rigidly connected. The purpose ofthis arrangement is that when the-handle 52 is lifted up to cause thebarrel to be lowered the handle 41 will also he raised thereby'to causethe valve at the lower endof the filling-tube to be closed, and thusstop the flow of beer 'tothe barrel while the latteris being lowered. f

, The operation is as follows; Thelreservoi'r being supplied with beerand the apparatus in' the position shown. in fullrlines in Figs. 1

and 2, a barrel to be filled is rolled up on the barrel-support,asindic'ated in said figures, and with its bung-hole positionedd1rectlyunder the sealin -head. The cool: bcin c an so that there isfree communication between the lower part of the reservoir and the upperend of the filling-tube, the lever 52 is pulled down, which causes thehydraulic cylinder to lift the barrel up into contact with the seal- Ling-head and to carry it up thereafter until the lowerportion of theinterior of the barrel is at or nearly at the lower end of thefillingtube. The. sealing-head, by reason of the compression of the airin the cylinders against which it has been lifted by the rise of thebarrel, will now be held firmly down against the outside of the barrelaround the bunghole,creatingan air and liquid tight joint. As soon asthe scaling is effected the cock 26, which in the pipe leading from theupper part of the reservoir to the chamber in the sealing-head, is

opened, and the compressed air above the beer 1n the reservoir passesthrough the sealinghead. to the barrel until the pressure in the barrelis equal or nearly equal to the pressure in the reservoir. It is notnecessary to Wait until the barrel is in its uppermost position beforein close juxtaposition to the bottom of the package, and hence flowsquietly and without any agitat on lnto the package, the bottom of which,it will be remembered, is only a little more than the height of thepackage below the bottom of the reservoir. The beer con-- tinues to flowquietly into the package with out any release of and without any foam,filling the package by rising up until the package is absolutely fulland until the beer continuing to rise into the chamber in thesealinghead has reached and filled the sight-glass r27, which theoperatorobserves. At this juncture as soon as he sees that thesight-glass is full of beer the operator lifts up the handle i7 air andhydraulic cylinders.

52, which carries with it the handle 41, and thus simultaneously closesthe valve in the bottornof the lillingtube and starts the barreldownward by the combined action of the descends and the filling-tube isthereby withdrawn the cook 26 remains open, so that the equalizedpressure may be maintained while the barrel is descending, and the beerin the .sightglassis thus forced or flows down to take the placeoccupiedby the filling-tube, so i that whenthellatter is completely withdrawnthe barrel is absolutely full of beer up to the bung-hole. As'the barrelcontinues to lower thesealing-headparts contact was the surface areservoir will be lost.

As the barrel of the barrel and leaves the barrel open to the air. Justbefore the sealing-head has parted contact with the barrel the operatorcloses the cock 26, so that none of the pressure from the When thebarrel is thus left open to the air after being filled in this mannercompletely full, there isan appreciable interval of time during which noebullition of gas will occur, though it left too long the beer willbegin to foam out of the bung-hole. During this quiescent interval theoperator swings back the oscillating sealinghead and tube into theposition indicated in 6, in which position it is held by the trioonlyrise in this pipe until it reaches the level of the beer in thereservoir, and the pipe be- 9 ing relatively small in diameter theamount of beerwhich will be left in the pipe will not be great and maybe compensated for byad'justing the tube inside of sight-glass 27. Thisbeer if allowed to remain in the pipe will be forced by theair pressureabove it down through the chamber 23 into the next barrel,

but will inso doing drop through the depth of the barrel, spraying theliquid through the air and causing it to foam, and thus producing somefoam in the barrel. The amount of this foam will be small, it is true;but for the boneit of the beer in the package and its keeping qualityitis better that this small amount. should not be permitted. to flow inthis man- 1 5 nor into the barrel, wlv ch can readily beprevented byblowing out the pipe before the next barrel is filled by opening thecook 26 momentarily when the s ealinghead is not on the barrel, Ofcourse such inadvertent or careless overfilling or adjustment of tube insight-glass QZshould always be avoided, if pos si e.

Having thus described theinventiomwhat is 7 claimed is- 1. In a machinefor filling packages with liquid containing gas, the combination ofareservoir-for containing the liquid under pressure, a fillingtubeconnected to the reservoir, and having a valve at its lower end, achambered sealing-head sliding on said fillingtube, the chamber of whichis connected to the reservoir to equalize thepressure betweenthereservoir and the package, means for lifting the package up against thes'ealing- 5 head and causing the latter to slide on the filling-tubeuntil the lower end of the filling tube with its valve is at or near thebottomof the package, and means for operating the galive in thefilling-tube, substantially as speci- 2. In amachine for fillingpackages with liquid containing gas, the combination of a reservoir forcontaining the liquid under pres-- sure, a filling-tube connected to thereservoir and having a valve at its lower, end, a chambered sealing headsliding on said fillingtube, the chamber of which is connected to thereservoir, to equalize the pressure between the reservoir and thepackage, a hy draulic cylinder and piston for lifting the package upagainst the sealing-head, and causing the latter toslide on thefilling-tube until the lower end of the filling-tube with its Valve isat or near the bottom of the package, and means for operating the valvein the filling-tube, substantially as specified.

3. In amachine for filling packages withliquid containing gas,thecombination of a reservoir for containing the liquid under pressure,afilling-tube connected to the reservoir, andhaving avalve at its lowerend, a chambered sealing-head sliding on said fillingtube, the chamberof which is connected to the reservoir to equalizethe pressure betweenthe reservoir and the package, means for lifting the package up againstthe sealinghead and causing the latter to slide on the filling-tubeuntil the lower end of the fillingtube withits valve is at or near thebottom ofthe'package, andnieans for operating the valve in thefilling-tubathe said sealin head being connected to an air-compressiondevice so that inits rise the sealing-head works against an increasingair-pressure, which operates as a spring to hold the sealinghead againstthe package, and to return said sealing-head when the package islowered, substantially as specified.

4. In a machine for filling packages with liquid containing gas, thecombination of a reservoir for containing the liquid under pressure, afilling-tuberconnected to the reservoir, and having a valve at-its lowerend, a chambered sealing-head sliding on saidfillingtube, the chamber ofwhich is connected to the reseryoir to equalize the pressure between thereservoir and the package, means for lifting the package up against thesealing head and causing the latter to slide on the filling-tube untilthe lower end of the fillingtube with its valve is at or near the bottomof the package, and means for operating the valve in the fillingtube,the said sealinghead being connected to an air-compression device sothat in its rise the sealing-head works against an increasing airpressurev which operates as a spring to hold the sealinghead against thepackage, and to return said sealing-headwhen the package is lowered,

said air-compression device being provided with a regulablerelief-valve, and an automatic check-valve which may be connected to acompressedair supply, whereby a pre--- determined pressure may bemaintained, substantially as specified.

5. In ainachine for filling packages with liquid containing gas, thecombination an a reservoir for containing the liquid under sure, afilling-tube connected to the i and having a valve at its lower witlfor: operating the same, a chambered s head sliding on saidiilling-tube, the chz of which is connected to the reservoir to can izethe pressure between the reservoir and the package, and a hydrauliccylinder aud piston for lifting the package up against the seaiingheadand causing the latter to slide on the iill- 550 ing-tube until thelower end of the filling use with its valve is at or near the bottom lthe package; and an air-compression device con nected to thesealing-head so that iii-its i as the sealing-head works against theincreasing air-pressure which operates as a spring to hold. thesealing-headagainst the package, and to return said sealing-head whenthe package is lowered, substantially as specified.

6. Ina filling-machine for filling packages with liquid containing gas,the combination of a reservoir for containing the liquid under pressure,a filling-tube which when in ope tion extends substantially to thebottom of package to be filled, a seaiiugi the filling-tube and having acomma: with said reservoir independent of t" tube, means for bringingthe no package where the liquid. is del red 2 the said reservoir morenearly to the same hori zontal level and thus diminishing the tend: encyof the beer to foam and at the same time causingthe said filling-tube toextend to the bottom of the package, a foam-prev valve for closing thefilling-tube arran the lower end of said tube-and operated by the bottomof the package, and means whichca-w s the packageand reservoir to alevel and also opens said valve, i as set forth. I

T. In a filling-machine for h, i with liquid containing gas, t7. arelatively stationary reservo' also relatively stationary and tend whenin operation. subs bottom of the package, foarr valve arranged at thelower end tube, and means for rais the bring the bottom thereo deliveredmore nearh to'th level with the said reservr ish the tendency of the bialso acting to operate valve, substantiaily as as 8. in a machine fortiliin uid containing gas, the ct agesupport, hydraulic a thepackage-support, a sealing-head liif roof the package, a pneumaticcompr-essior device again-s the pressure of which the cad is lifted, afilling-tube bar ing a valve at its delivery end, and an air-cyiinderthe piston of which is connected to the valve at the delivery end of thefilling-tube for opening and. closing the same, substantially asspecified.

9.. In a filling-machine, the combination of a stationary cylindercontaining its piston for raising and lowering the package to be filled,a swinging frame having mounted thereon a cylinder and piston foroperating the sealinghead, a movable sealing-head to be operated by saidpiston, and a filling-tube having no vertical movement, substantially asspecified.

, a swinging frame having a cylinder and piston mounted upon it foroperating the chambered sealing-head and afilling-tube havingno verticalmovement, and also mounted upon said swinging frame, and a chamberedmovable sealing device also mounted on said swinging frame,substantially as specified.

12 In a filling-machine the combination of a stationary cyiindercontaining its piston for raising and lowering the support of thepackage to be filled, a swinging frame having a cyle inder and pistonmounted upon it, and a fillingtube having no vertical movement, and alsomounted upon said swinging frame, and a barrel-support adapted to beraised and lowered,

and means for'sealing the package when the filling-tubeis insertedtherein, substantially as specified.

.13. The combination of a stationary cylinder containing its piston forraising and lowering the package to be filled,aswinging frame, acylinder and piston mounted on said swinging frame for operating thechambered seaI-.

ing-h'ead, a filling-tube having no vertical adjustment and having avalve at its lower end,

esters with means for operating the same and a chambered movable sealingdevice, substantially as specified, r

14;. The combination. of a stationary cylinmeans for operating the sameand a chambered sealing device, and a reservoir for containing theliquid underpressure, substantially as specified. r

15. The combination of a stationary cylinder containing its piston forraising and low ering the package to be filled, a swinging frame, acylinder and piston mounted on said swinging frame for operating thechambered sealing-head, a filling-tube havingno vertical adjustment andhavinga valve at its lower end with means for operating the same, achambered movable sealing device, and a reservoir for containing theliquid under pressure, and

. a pipe or hollow tube connecting the chambered sealing head with theupper portion of the reservoir.-

16.' The combination eta-stationary cylinder containing its plston forraising and lowering the package to be filled, a swinging frame, acylinder and piston mounted on said swinging frame-for operating thechambered sealing-head, a filling-tube having no vertical adjustment andhaving-a valve at its lower end with means-for operating the same, achambered movable sealing device, a reservoir for containing the liquidunder pressure, a pipe or hollow tube connecting the chamberedsealing-head with the upper portion ofthe reservoir, a pipe or hollowtube connecting the upper end of the stationary fillingtube and thelower portion of the reservoir, sight-glass in the tube to the upperportion of the reservoir, and an adjustablesection' in this pipepassing: through a stufing-loox into the sight-glass, substantiallyass-specified. A

' HARRY NE-MOM v e I Witnesses:

M. M NDAY, HAL O. Hooiinn.

